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Rarest of the Rare: Javan Rhinos

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The World Wildlife Fund and Indonesian park officials have released video of Javan rhinoceroses obtained from camera traps in Ujung Kulon National Park, which is thought to be the last refuge of the critically endangered species. The video clips show young calves and a mother, implying the species, which once ranged through much of Southeast Asia but is now down to a few dozen individuals, is hanging in there.

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Still, wildlife biologists say the rhinos in the park face threats from poaching — mainly due to demand in China for the purported medicinal properties of the horns — as well as from a nearby volcano.

It’s a shame that humans (media included) have a habit of paying attention to wildlife mainly when it’s already driven close to the brink.

When the Hudson River was so dense with huge Atlantic sturgeon that they were nicknamed Albany beef, did they cause the thrill I felt while accompanying biologists netting a single individual last year?

I’d love to start posting video here of species that are not down to their last few dozen individuals, and will do so when time allows. In the meantime, offer up links to video of your favorite wild things — including those that remain abundant.

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By 2050 or so, the human population is expected to pass nine billion. Those billions will be seeking food, water and other resources on a planet where humans are already shaping climate and the web of life. Dot Earth was created by Andrew Revkin in October 2007 -- in part with support from a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship -- to explore ways to balance human needs and the planet's limits.